


Us Against The World

by Tassi_Ki



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: A look at early teen years at the Danvers, Alex needs to be loved and adored, BAMF little Alex, Kara takes up that role, Other, Schoolyard Bullies, Sisterly bonding, parental neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:38:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9130813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tassi_Ki/pseuds/Tassi_Ki
Summary: Things were never easy at the Danvers Household, but things got marginally worse (and maybe a bit better) when Superman dropped a sister on Alex's front porch. Did anyone forget to tell him that Stork Delivery wasn't actually how people got kids? And if possible, could Alex get a refund on the Invader currently inhabiting the old guest bedroom? No? Shoot.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to TheSpaminator who beta'd this one for me. New experience for me, but a fun one. :D

She didn’t quite know when Kara became such a big part of her life, but despite all the changes it brought, she never would have wished it differently. Life had gained so much color and vitality after the little alien took up residence in her house. Sure, they’d gotten off to quite the rocky start, what with her parents all but forgetting she existed for extended periods of time to help ‘nurture’ their poor alien foster daughter, but Kara...Kara had never forgotten her. If anything, the more attention her parents gave Kara, the more attention Kara gave her. That was what brought about the first chink in her armor against the ‘Invader’ as she’d originally called Kara.

 

* * *

 

 

The first time her parents forgot her it had been Kara’s first day of school. Technically, it had been _both_ their first day of school, and the first day of middle school as well. A big transition for Alex, but of course, an even bigger transition for Kara because ‘the poor girl’s never been to an earth school before!’ Alex had stood off to the side with a painfully fixed smile frozen on her lips, thumbs hooked in the straps of her backpack as she’d watched her parents fuss over a rather shell shocked looking Kara. They fixed her backpack straps, straightened out her slightly crooked shirt, smoothed down her hair, and gave her an almost overwhelming amount of reassurance and encouragement. She’d gotten a quick pat on the back and a smile from her dad as she’d turned to get on the bus with Kara trailing behind her. Her mom hadn’t even noticed, her worried gaze still fixed on Kara. Kara, bless her little alien heart, had latched onto Alex’s hand and refused to let go for the rest of the bus ride to school.

That night when they’d sat down for dinner, all questions about school were aimed at Kara and how well she fit in, how she felt about school, what her favorite subject was, favorite teacher. Alex watched the interaction with another fixed smile, idly picking at her spaghetti. No one asked her how well she had transitioned to middle school, or if she’d liked/hated anything that day. Everyone was too worried about Kara and how well she’d done. Except Kara. Kara had held such a guilty look in her gaze as she answered each question while subtly trying to steer the questions, and spotlight, towards Alex. ‘I didn’t do so well, _but Alex helped_ ’, ‘I had trouble understanding this, _but Alex explained it well_ ’, or even a few far less subtle attempts like ‘I really enjoyed maths with Ms. Pattenson, what about you Alex?’ or ‘What was your favorite part of the day Alex?’. The less subtle ones managed to draw Alex into the conversation, at least for the length of her answer, but as soon as she finished, the spotlight was back on an even guiltier looking Kara and Alex sank back into the shadows once more.

When they went to bed that night Kara had snuck into Alex’s room, sat at the end of her bed with a shy little smile and proceeded to spout out every question she’d been asked during dinner, pausing until Alex rolled her eyes and answered. Alex had pretended to absolutely loathe every second of it, but she fell asleep with a slightly lighter heart that night anyway.

 

* * *

 

The next time it happened it was just after midterms and they were bringing home their midterm report cards. Alex had them both seeing as Kara had no clue what they were and was liable to lose it, and handed both over once they were through the door. She watched in ill-disguised shock as her mother pulled Kara’s folder out from behind her own before absentmindedly dropping her folder on the entryway table, her report card sliding part way out to display an A+ on the first line and what looked like at least an A on the second, partially revealed line. Her mother had promptly headed into the living room to sit down and read Kara’s report before beaming at the nervous girl and pulling her into a hug, whispering praises and ‘I’m proud of you’s. Alex had taken one last look at her forgotten report card and turned away, heading up the stairs to her room.

She’d spent the rest of the afternoon and evening curled up on her bed, her favorite plushy clutched tightly to her chest while listening to her mother loudly proclaim how proud she was of Kara to her dad and the resulting celebration the two threw for Kara getting passing grades ‘despite never having gone to an earth school’. Such a smart girl they said. She was smart too! She’d tried harder than ever this term, and raised her B’s to A’s and even a few A+’s, but Kara’s C’s and B’s were far more captivating. She refused to cry, even when she felt her nose stinging from the urge to. She wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of making her cry.

She broke that rule later that night when Kara snuck into her room, report card folder clutched in her hands. Perched in her usual spot at the end of Alex’s bed she opened the folder marked ALEXANDRA DANVERS and read through the entire report before beaming up at Alex over the top of the folder, blue eyes shining with awe. “You’re so smart Alex. I wish I could get things as easily as you do. I’m proud of you.” It was said with such reverence and gentle affection and left hanging in the heavy silence that followed it, prompting a cascade of silent tears from Alex as she soaked in Kara’s genuine pride and affection. Neither spoke of what happened that night, but it soon became a routine for them whenever Alex’s parents forgot they had a blood related daughter, and eventually a routine that happened nightly even if things went well during the day.

 

* * *

 

Alex slowly opened up to the thought of having a sister sometime during the near nightly visits, slowly allowing Kara further and further up onto the bed until they were sitting side by side with Kara cuddled tightly against her. With that change, and their first unforced hug, came a swell of protective feelings that Alex wasn’t quite sure how to deal with. It didn’t help that her mother was always telling her to protect Kara and keep her powers hidden, no matter what.

It all came to a head one afternoon at school when Alex finally realized Kara was being bullied. Boy had she felt guilty for not noticing it sooner, but then again, Kara had always felt so guilty about all the attention being taken away from her. She’d probably felt that this would have been another instance where she’d get the spotlight over Alex if she spoke up, and since she was an alien and all she could handle a little shoving and a few mean words. Alex disagreed, violently, with a fist to the face of the boy she caught shoving _her sister_ to the ground. She would later realize that it was the first time she’d said the words out loud and meant them as she fell into a full on schoolyard brawl with the stupid boy while shouting ‘How _dare_ you lay a hand on my sister!’

She had to be pulled off the boy by the recess monitor (who had been suspiciously absent until an actual brawl had broken out), and was forcibly escorted to the principal's office along with the boy who she was soon informed was Matthew Wilks. She looked quite a lot worse than he did, but considering she was smaller, had no experience in fighting, and was essentially defending herself from Matt and his lackeys, she’d done pretty well. Matt and his buddies were given a few days suspension for fighting, but seeing as it was three against one, and Alex had been dominating the fight for the short time the recess monitor had seen it, Alex was given a full two weeks of suspension and a black mark on her record for ‘instigating the fight.’

After a trip to the nurse’s office to clean up her split lip and bandage her sprained wrist, she sat in front of the main office where Kara soon joined her, both waiting for Eliza to pick them up. She and Kara had quietly decided before Eliza arrived that they wouldn’t tell her mom about the bullying. Kara had admitted to actually feeling quite smothered by all the attention and really not wanting any more of the baby treatment, and she didn’t want yet another reason to pop up that would divert attention away from Alex. Alex was both annoyed and touched by the gesture. Part of her wanted to rattle Kara until she spilled the beans because she didn’t want her little sister being bullied. She didn’t want to see that little puppy face crumple one more time under the harsh mutterings of ‘freak’ or the sneers and shoves that accompanied the remarks. At the same time, she understood Kara’s aversion to her parents’ smothering. They meant well, but they went beyond treating Kara like a daughter, and well into the territory of coddling her to the point of insanity. So they made a pact of sorts in the hallway, legs swinging lightly as they dangled from the metal bench outside the front office of the school. Alex would continue to stand up for Kara where the alien couldn’t in fear of hurting others, and in turn, Kara would look out for Alex at home and fill in for whatever gaps their parents left. It would be just them against the world.

Her mom finally arrived, and for once, all the attention was on her. It wasn’t pleasant attention, mind you, but her mom’s full focus was on her and she couldn’t help but feel a sliver of twisted joy from the fact. Eliza’s face was twisted in a scowl the whole way home as she lectured Alex about getting into fights and how uncouth it was. Ranting on and on about she was setting a bad example for Kara, and she really shouldn’t act out like that. She put on a suitably cowed face before bowing her head slightly in the back seat so Eliza couldn’t see the tentative smile she shot to Kara through the curtain of reddish brown hair. Kara bowed her head in response and returned the secretive smile, carefully lacing her fingers with Alex’s less injured hand and giving a gentle squeeze.

That night she was sent to her room without dinner after both of her parents gave her a stern talking to. That night Kara also made liberal use of her powers to float downstairs and secret away enough plateless food to tide Alex over until morning before using a hint of freeze breath to soothe Alex’s bruises and sprains. That night Kara and Alex truly solidified their bond as they curled up in Alex’s bed quietly munching on apples and sipping juice boxes. It was them against the world and neither would change a thing.


End file.
